Katherine L. Montgomery

Perceptions of Resiliency and Coping: Homeless Young Adults Speak Out.

This study explored the perceptions of resilience and coping among homeless young adults, a focus that differs from previous research by considering the unconventional resilience and coping of this high-risk population. Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with 45 homeless young adults. Individual interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by coders using an iterative process of content analysis. Findings revealed four primary themes that highlight perceptions of resiliency and coping, including individual strengths, positive life perspective, external social supports, and individual coping strategies. Implications for professionals working with this population suggest that developing and strengthening programs tailored to utilize homeless young adults’ resiliency may be beneficial. Recognizing the strengths and resilience that homeless young adults are capable of, and incorporating a strength-based perspective to empower these young adults, may encourage positive choices and increase the likelihood of transitioning out of homelessness.

Heterogeneity in Drug Abuse Among Juvenile Offenders: Is Mixture Regression More Informative Than Standard Regression?

Research on juvenile offenders has largely treated this population as a homogeneous group. However, recent findings suggest that this at-risk population may be considerably more heterogeneous than previously believed. This study compared mixture regression analyses with standard regression techniques in an effort to explain how known factors such as distress, trauma, and personality are associated with drug abuse among juvenile offenders. Researchers recruited 728 juvenile offenders from Missouri juvenile correctional facilities for participation in this study. Researchers investigated past-year substance use in relation to the following variables: demographic characteristics (gender, ethnicity, age, familial use of public assistance), antisocial behavior, and mental illness symptoms (psychopathic traits, psychiatric distress, and prior trauma). Results indicated that standard and mixed regression approaches identified significant variables related to past-year substance use among this population; however, the mixture regression methods provided greater specificity in results. Mixture regression analytic methods may help policy makers and practitioners better understand and intervene with the substance-related subgroups of juvenile offenders.

Translating Evidence-Based Practices Into Policy: A Case Study in Texas

Screening and brief intervention (SBI) in health care settings is an evidence-based practice for substance misuse. The Uniform Accident and Sickness Policy Provision Law (UPPL) discourages providers from carrying out SBI by allowing insurers in 26 states to refuse coverage for injuries resulting from intoxication. This project used a qualitative case study methodology to understand how policy-advocacy communication may have impacted the success of UPPL repeal efforts in Texas. Results showed bill progress could have been impeded due to less-effective communication from advocates. These findings suggest the quality of communication may influence the success of evidence-based policy-advocacy for UPPL repeal.

The Effectiveness of Psychosocial Interventions Delivered by Teachers in Schools: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The growing mental health needs of students within schools have resulted in teachers increasing their involvement in the delivery of school-based, psychosocial interventions. Current research reports mixed findings concerning the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions delivered by teachers for mental health outcomes. This article presents a systematic review and meta-analysis that examined the effectiveness of school-based psychosocial interventions delivered by teachers on internalizing and externalizing outcomes and the moderating factors that influence treatment effects on these outcomes. Nine electronic databases, major journals, and gray literature (e.g., websites, conference abstract) were searched and field experts were contacted to locate additional studies. Twenty-four studies that met the study inclusion criteria were coded into internalizing or externalizing outcomes and further analyzed using robust variance estimation in meta-regression. Both publication and risk of bias of studies were further assessed. The results showed statistically significant reductions in students’ internalizing outcomes (dxa0=xa0.133, 95% CI [.002, .263]) and no statistical significant effect for externalizing outcomes (dxa0=xa0.15, 95% CI [−.037, .066]). Moderator analysis with meta-regression revealed that gender (%male, bxa0=xa0−.017, pxa0<xa0.05), race (% Caucasian, bxa0=xa0.002, pxa0<xa0.05), and the tier of intervention (bxa0=xa0.299, pxa0=xa0.06) affected intervention effectiveness. This study builds on existing literature that shows that teacher-delivered Tier 1 interventions are effective interventions but also adds to this literature by showing that interventions are more effective with internalizing outcomes than on the externalizing outcomes. Moderator analysis also revealed treatments were more effective with female students for internalizing outcomes and more effective with Caucasian students for externalizing outcomes.

Does Evidence-Based Practice Influence State Legislators' Decision-Making Process? An Exploratory Study

The influence of evidence-based practices on public policy has been deemed essential in scholarly literature and governmental human services. However, the impact of research on legislative decision making for state human service policy remains unknown. This article reports interview results with Texas state legislators and provides educators and practitioners with recommendations for impacting state policy.

Predictors of Alcohol Use Among Status-Offending Adolescents: Youth and Parent Perspectives

Research exploring parent–child relationships suggests parents often have divergent perspectives from their adolescent children. Understanding youths and parents reports in predicting alcohol use is particularly important among detained youths who are at elevated risk for substance-related problems. This exploratory study queried youth entrants to a juvenile detention center (N = 150) and their parents (N = 89) on a host of individual and familial factors to determine risks associated with youths drinking from youth and parent perspectives. Findings suggest that, in addition to assessing youths self-reports at juvenile detention admission, parents divergent views of their teens alcohol use offer a valuable perspective.